How to Keep Your Short Game Sharp During the Off-Season With BirdieBall

The off-season has been going on for a few months now in the colder parts of the world, and although some of us will be brave enough to take on the colder temperatures and play a round, others are waiting for warmer days.

However, for those of you at home who are unwilling to play in colder temperatures but still want to keep your game sharp, BirdieBall can help.

BirdieBall makes a series of indoor and outdoor putting mats that can be as long or as short as you want. I have found they are better for more than just putting, but there are plenty of ways you can keep improving within the comfort of your own home.

Here are a few drills I’ve done to keep myself sharp in the off-season without going to a simulator or playing in frigid temperatures:

Chipping and Pitching Drills

You’ll need a hitting mat of some kind. I like to use the WhyGolf BunkerMate, which is good for practicing more than just the bunker shots it is designed for.

I also like to have a few handfuls of these foam balls around for this drill in particular. You can use a real golf ball or even the harder foam dimple balls, but the foam balls are just as good, make relatively no noise if you thin one into the wall, and won’t damage anything.

You can pick up a dozen of these at Dick’s for a more than reasonable price. They also spin a lot, so it’s fun to practice the pitch shots that check up after a bounce or two with these.

I simply stand at varying distances in the basement and try to get these close to the hole:

I have found that just getting some work in, even if it is in this capacity, is better than nothing.

If you’re struggling with your short game or just want to stay sharp, make some contact with the ball, somehow. 

Lag Putting Drill

On a BirdieBall mat, your hole cutouts are about 18″ away from the edge. 

This presents owners with a really great opportunity to practice lag putting speed with a drill that I use quite frequently.

I like to stand on the far side of the mat and try to put the ball in between the backside of the hole and the edge. It is super tough and helps dial in your speed due to the 18″ inches you have to work with.

Lag putting is where I eliminated between 5-7 strokes off my game last year. My goal was to eliminate as many three-putts as I could through getting the ball within the three-foot circle, which Phil Mickelson talks about frequently in his “Secrets of the Short Game” series. Get the ball within three-feet and you can pretty much guarantee that you’ll make the next one.

That makes for a nice segway into my next drill.

Three-to-Six Foot Drill

Pretty self explanatory here. I like to put three balls at three feet, three balls at four feet, three balls at five feet, and three balls at six feet.

Twelve balls total. Make as many as you can. You get a point for every putt made, add up your score at the end and try to beat it until you get 12 points.

If you’d like to get a BirdieBall in your basement, use our discount code “GOLFICITY10” for 10 percent off!

Cover Image via Golf Magazine